# Interactive Outer-Orbit Light Shows These Black Marble Images Were Recently Released by NASA By Jonathon Brown | Published 2012-12-19 | Tech Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/black-marble-images References: [mashable](http://mashable.com/2012/12/11/black-marble-interactive/) & [earthbuilder.google](https://earthbuilder.google.com/10446176163891957399-13737975182519107424-4/mapview/) People first got a glimpse of these Black Marble images last week when [NASA](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/beyond-the-light) released a photo from space of Earth at night. Now, in a collaboration with [Google](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/digital-map-ai-enhancements-google-maps-update-brings-aipowered-exploration), NASA has created an [interactive experience](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/interactive-mapping-feature) for those interested in seeing the Earth in its darkest hours. The photos themselves were taken using a technology called Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS). It took 312 orbits around the Earth for the device to get clear photos. These Black Marble images were taken from a nine day “Earth photoshoot” in April of 2012 and another 13 days of photos in October. The [map shown](https://earthbuilder.google.com/10446176163891957399-13737975182519107424-4/mapview/) is a composite of data and images gathered by the device in space and pieced together to create one view of the entire world. You can see some countries are illuminated more than others. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.8/10 - Popularity: 82% | Activity: 85% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/tech) > [Science](https://www.trendhunter.com/science) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Interactive Space Tourism:** Create interactive experiences for people to see space and planets through technology and imagery. - **Urban Lighting Solutions:** Design and implement lighting systems that conserve energy while still illuminating cities and buildings. - **Sustainable Energy Monitoring:** Develop technology that can monitor visible infrared wavelengths to optimize energy use and reduce waste. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Tourism:** Create travel packages for individuals interested in space exploration. - **Lighting:** Design lighting systems for urban and architectural projects. - **Energy:** Develop technology that can optimize energy use and reduce waste. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Immersive Space Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/beyond-the-light.md) - [Festive Light Painting Techniques](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/light-painting-1.md) - [Space-Themed Marbled Bear Figurine](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/black-hole-1.md) - [Vintage-Inspired Eclipse Posters](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/solar-eclipse-poster.md) - [Astronaut Night Light Projectors](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/night-light-projectors.md) - [Dark Matter Maps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dark-matter-map.md) - [Interactive Universe Maps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/universe-map.md) - [AR Space Agency Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ar-nasa-app.md) - [Orb Lighting Installations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mangrove-island.md)